Would history’s heroes be effective today?
LAMENTING THE poor quality of political leadership is a cliché in the United States. We complain endlessly about the mediocrity of our governing class, and envy generations that were lucky enough to live under more inspiring leaders. In fact, however, we neither want nor need heroic, larger-than-life leaders like the ones our grandparents revered. Our […]
Our Country Wins When It Recognizes Defeat
AMERICANS ARE world champions of self-confidence. We like to believe that our wealth, ingenuity, and vast power are enough to achieve whatever we want in the world. To argue that some of our global projects are doomed to failure seems somehow un-American.
Stakes remain high in Iran nuclear talks
High-stakes negotiations may soon lead the United States and Iran out of the hostility in which they have been trapped for 35 years. But on Nov. 24, Iran and six world powers announced that they had failed to reach a comprehensive deal on Iran’s nuclear program. They agreed to extend negotiations for a framework to March and for a final agreement to July 2015.
Torture report shows CIA followed White House’s lead
Release of the long-delayed US Senate report on CIA abuses should make Americans proud as well as ashamed. Shame is a natural reaction when we learn that agents acting in our name have behaved so brutally. It is also reasonable, however, for us to be proud of what we read. Security forces in other countries also arrest innocent people, […]
Boston Globe: “Joining the Military Doesn’t Make You a Hero”
WHO IS A hero? In today’s America, it is someone who chooses a military career, puts on a uniform, and prepares for war. Placing soldiers and veterans on this kind of pedestal is a relatively new phenomenon. Past generations of Americans saw soldiers as ordinary human beings. They were like the rest of us: big […]
